The Last Temptation of Elphaba
by StarXEnoch
Summary: Elphaba learns that she must allow herself to be melted by Dorothy to pave the way for the Wizard's downfall and the coming of Queen Ozma. But is she strong enough to submit herself to such a fate? Might she have the power to alter this destiny? (Takes elements from both the book, the musical, and the original Oz books)
1. Searching for the Goddess

Chapter One: Searching for the Goddess

It has been three months since Elphaba had defied gravity and flown from the Wizard's palace in a blaze of fire and smoke. He had done well in demonizing her. The Marvelous Land of Oz was now defined by its widespread paranoia of the green-skinned sorceress. Never mind the fact that she had never done anything to hurt anybody in her life! Never mind the fact that she had only ever been motivated by her desire to serve her fellow Ozian! Never mind that most of these Ozians had never seen actually seen her in person! Her name was now synonymous with "evil," even though her name was practically unknown.

Elphaba had lived her last two months as a vagabond. Stealing food. Hunting for shelter. Hiding in the wilderness. Shivering in the snow. Dreading the rain. Fortunately she had not been caught in a thunderstorm… _yet._

She flew to the middle of the Deadly Desert that lay past the northern border of Oz. If anybody else had dared to step foot here, they would have been turned to stone by the desert's curse. But Elphaba was a witch. She only had one thing to fear. So she dropped her broom in the sand and strode up an especially large dune. It looked like the perfect place to meditate. She had know idea how right she was.

Long ago she had heard the myth of Lurline, the goddess who had created Oz. Lurline basked in perfect love, perfect harmony, and perfect solitude. She could only be found in the quiet corners of the world. Elphaba did not know if Lurline would care to speak to her, or if she even existed as all, but she was desperate for guidance. She had always prided herself in being a realist, a pragmatist, but that road had led her to live the live of a fugitive. A vagabond! Elphaba was willing to entertain any theories now, even the most fantastical.

With her longest finger she drew a circle in the sand. A perfect circle! Elphaba sat down in it cross legged. At first she closed her eyes. Nothing came. She opened them and stared down at her dark frock stained with dirt.

"Speak to me," she commanded.

No answer.

"I'll do anything you wish. But you have to tell me."

The wind picked up a little bit, blowing some sand on her cabbage-tinted cheeks.

"No signs. No mysteries. Just come to me in a form I can comprehend. Speak to me in a voice I can understand. I am only mortal after all, despite what the Wizard says."

Elphaba closed her mouth and patiently waited. The red sun began to set. The temperature dropped. The stars appeared. The desert crickets chirped. A two-headed cobra slithered past her, but did not enter the circle.

"Speak to me!" Elphaba shouted. "I am not leaving this circle until you do! Speak to me, dammit!"

At once she felt like someone had slapped her across the face. Except there was no pain, no hand, and no bruise. But the sensation of surprise still stung her as if there were.

The air she was breathing had changed. At once it was lifted, lowered, and turned inside-out. Elphaba held her breath and tried to concentrate.

Was there something out there, moving around her? Toward her?

There was nothing, but not really nothing.

There was silence, but not really silence.

She was not alone.


	2. The Visitors

Chapter Two: The Visitors

Elphaba was awoken at some ungodly hour by a dark, slender figure standing three feet away from her circle. At first Elphaba was tempted to spring to her feet, but she remembered why she was there.

"Come closer," she said lowly. Her heart was pounding fast, but she was not afraid.

The pale moonlight shown down brightly on the visitor. Elphaba recognized the face immediately. "Glinda, how did you get here?"

Glinda brushed her long blonde locks to the side and stared down with pity. Her pretty pink sundress was untouched by the sand. "I'm here to take you back, Elphie."

"Take me back where?"

"To the Wizard, of course."

Glinda took a paced forward. For a second it looked like she would enter the circle, but she stopped just outside of it. She eyed it fearfully. "Just say you're sorry. The Wizard will take you back. He is very kind. He will make you his warrior again."

"You mean his _servant, Glinda!"_

Glinda seemed to grow three feet taller. She towered over Elphaba and instantly she felt her age-old jealously. Glinda had such a perfect body compared to her. Dimpled cheeks. Small nose. Perfect breasts. Thin hips. Long, muscular legs. No wonder all the men of Oz drooled over her. No wonder all the women wanted to be her, even Elphaba sometimes. Glinda leaned down on her, a long silver wand appearing in her hand—no doubt granted to her by the sly old humbug himself. "He will _graciously_ take you back! He might even _de-green-ify you!_ "

"Don't you see, Glinda. He _needs_ me. He needs me to betray my dignity, just like you did. You can go back to him and tell him that it's my final answer, even if it kills me!"

Glinda frowned. As if she were a bubble, she popped. A few golden sparkles flew around, then faded away.

Elphaba wondered if Glinda would reveal her whereabouts to the Wizard. She doubted it. Glinda was a sell-out, but she was not wicked. And if she were, then Elphaba was ready to die. Life was hard enough as it was with Glinda as a fickle friend. For Glinda to become a traitor would make life completely unbearable. She would almost welcome a rainstorm in that case. Elphaba groaned. She had not thought these many suicidal thoughts since childhood. She drove the Good Witch out of her head and drifted back to sleep.

The hours moved on and Elphaba heard footsteps behind her. She scooted around and saw the outline of a man. "Well done Elphaba. You overcame the pressure of your mind. You're beyond that. We are both beyond that."

Elphaba squinted her eyes, trying to take in as much starlight as possible. He was the Wizard. At least, he looked like the Wizard. Some top hat. Some black waistcoat. Same white beard stubble. His eyes glistened greedily as they always did. He stood still, making no attempt to take her.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your heart, can't you tell?" He bent down near her, whispering in her ear. "You have the power to take on the Wizard yourself. Kill him! Kill his men! Take the City of Emeralds for yourself! Become the Queen of Oz you were born to be!"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, I do not have the power."

The Wizard's inched closer to her. His voice rang in her eardrum. "You've been training since you were a girl. Remember when you were five years old, and you begged the goddess Lurline to make you her? And when Lurline refused to grant your wish, you tried to do it yourself? Of course, you were young then. All you were able to do was shoot green sparks out of your hands. But you've grown since, haven't you?"

Elphaba winced at the memory of her own blasphemy. "I was ignorant then. It doesn't matter."

"Of yes it does! Embrace your destiny! Kill the Wizard! Make Oz love you! And if they will not do that, then make them _fear you!"_

Elphaba moaned. "And start the whole damned cycle of tyranny all over again? No!"

The Wizard hung his head. As if he were a shadow, he faded away. The space he had inhabited was temporarily darkened, but that lifted too. Elphaba blinked her eyes. Neither Glinda nor the Wizard had left any imprints in the sand.

Elphaba dug her hands into the sand at her side. She let out a low growl of frustration. Despite the sights she had seen, she knew that there was something else that was still in store. The only question was, when would it decide to come?


	3. Lurline

Chapter Three: Lurline

Strom clouds brewed on the dark horizon. Elphaba panicked. There was no shelter for miles around. It was seem that her doom would arrive much sooner than she expected. She felt like a jagged stone was lodged in her throat, paralyzing her breathing. If she had not ben so stiff, she might have tried to at least shield her face. The clouds swirled around her at an alarming rate—too magical to be natural. Her circle was in the middle of the vortex; the eye of the storm.

Down came the rains, but Elphaba's circle was untouched. A solid wall of water dropped down around her, but not one touched hit her. She cowered in the center, leaking oily tears. Her entire body quaked with dread. Short screams emitted from her mouth. The rain seemed to be falling for miles around. It sounded like wailing of dying men and sword on sword in battle. Every so often, thunder rang out.

Minutes passed, and she came to the idea that she could fly directly upwards, through the clouds and out of the storm. But her broom was in the rain. She could try to make it hop into her hand, but it was drenched by now. She could try flying on her own, but she was not that skilled. Even if she were able to levitate high enough, she might fly herself into the rain. The wisest choice then was to simply sit still and wait the storm out.

A cool voice rang through the droplets. _"Elphaba… Sweet Elphaba."_

Elphaba calmed down to listen to the voice. All at once, the noise of the storm ceased. No crashing thunder. No wailing droplets. Just a calm, feminine voice.

" _Elphaba… My Elphaba."_

"Who are you?" she called out.

" _I am who I am. I am Existence itself."_ Every word was even spaced out. Each had the same cadence.

"I don't understand."

" _I am She who you perceive to be the Mother Lurline. I am He who the patriarchs to the east and west perceive to be male Father. I created this land that you call Oz in perfect love and perfect wisdom."_

Elphaba stood up and stared at the wall of rain. "What is this?"

 _"This is your salvation, Elphaba, and the salvation of all of Oz."_

"What, water?"

 _"Yes, water."_

Elphaba sighed, exasperated. "Just give me a straight answer."

 _"How hard do you want to save Oz from the tyranny and negligence of the so-called Wonderful Wizard of Oz?"_

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me questions you know the answer to."

 _"To give you the opportunity to respond. Now answer."_

She rolled her eyes. "With all my heart."

 _"Then you need to prepare yourself. Prepare yourself to die."_

Elphaba heard the last word, but she did not grasp it. "Die!?"

 _"Yes. You must die, and you must die willingly."_

The thunder crashed.

"But… but why?"

 _"You are limited, Elphaba. You are limited. Finite. Only one person. You lack agency. You lack the ability to solve the problems yourself."_

"Then give me the ability!" Elphaba shrieked.

 _"I have already blessed you enough by giving your own role to play. I want to bless others too by giving them their own. Living leagues away is a poor orphaned farm girl who longs to explore far off lands. "Over the Rainbow," she calls it."_ Lurline chuckled with affection. _"If she were to overturn the flaws of Oz, it would give her the confidence she needs to become the lady I have created her to be. If she were to save Oz, she would force every Ozian to reconsider the sacred worth of each individual. It might sound nonsensical to you, but where I am standing, sending the farmhand is the obvious choice of action."_

Elphaba shrugged and slapped her hands against her sides. "Alright then Goddess, where is she?"

 _"You will meet her soon enough. But when you do, you must put her in the position to kill you. She will be renown throughout all of Oz for it. She will gain the agency to expose the Wizard and drive him away."_

"Why not just arrange for her to kill me without having me in on it?"

 _"I have my reasons. But remember my daughter, the water is not just Oz's salvation, but yours as well."_

Elphaba had no words to speak. Her forehead burned with anger and pride. She curled her hands into firsts so hard that they bled. "Fine then."

And all at once, the water ceased. The clouds departed. One by one, the stars reappeared. Elphaba looked down at the sand. There were no pools of water formed by the intensity of the downpour. No water rolled down from the rune to the bottom. Elphaba took a risk and felt it. It was not wet at all.

"Are you kidding me?" she grumbled.

As if to mock her, the red morning sun suddenly rose directly in front of her, temporarily stinging her eyes. Elphaba turned away and trudged down the dune. She picked up her broom and prepared to mount. But she was in for another surprise.

The wood had aged. No other person would have detected this, but Elphaba knew her boom like a lifelong companion. The wood on it had aged by forty days, eight hours, six minutes, and forty seconds since Elphaba last touched it. Her superior senses as a sorceress told her that much.

 _"Forty days,"_ she whispered. _"I've been on the dune for forty days."_

As if to answer her, her stomach erupted with starvation. Elphaba nearly collapsed with shock. She had not eaten in over a month. Her mind and body quivered from weakness. But fortunately she was not too weak to hunt for food. Perhaps, beyond all hope, an wild beast nearby might be willing to hare its nightly kill with her.

As she mounted her broom she came to another realization: It was not even damp from the downpour. This only reinstated the fact that the rain had not been there. But what about Glinda and the Wizard? Had they not been there either? As she ascended she came to her conclusion.

Glinda and the Wizard had been there on the dune. And the storm as well.

They had been there for her. Only for her.


	4. March on the Emerald City

Chapter Four: March on the Emerald City

Ever since her youth, Elphaba had a way of defying authority. In her eyes, ultimate divine authority was no different from temporal earthly authority. So she was not concerned with finding this "orphan farmhand." She was concerned with getting her death other with quick and easy. She quickly devised a plan. And if it served her own will rather than Lurline's…well, that was Lurline's problem, wasn't it? It was the Goddess' problem for choosing such a rebellious servant.

It was not hard to raise a small army. The winged monkeys all flocked to her. So did the Winkie barbarians of the west. As did some enemy nomes from the underground realm. Elphaba had not made any grant promises to them. She didn't need to. They were as ready to overturn Oz as she was. They followed her with rusted blades, pitchforks, and torches. She led them on her broom, only a few feet off the ground. Things would be a little _too_ easy for the Wizard's men. It was only two days after Elphaba had left the Deadly Desert. Now she was resolved to make her death as glorious as possible.

The City of Emeralds was filled with twice as many tourists as natives. None of them knew how to react when they saw the enemy forces assembling in the distance. The traffic on the Yellow Brick Road scattered. The people within the green walls retreated to the back walls. They were too naïve to run for protection. They ha never seen a spectacle quite like this before. Whatever it was, it would be entertaining.

Elphaba's army banged their drums and howled madly. Elphaba kindled a fire in her heart she had never felt before. For once in her life, she was in total control. Completely resigned. With the tip of her broom she tore down a few small booths she passed by. She sent a few harmless sparks down the side streets. She made eye contact with some of the wealthier citizens and sneered. They hid their eyes, but were still as curious as everyone else. The Wizard's men were nowhere in sight, but Elphaba was sure they were in the process of assembling. They would tackle her soon. They must!

The sky grew dark with her coming. A solar eclipse! How rare for Oz! Perhaps the was Lurline's will after all! Could it be possible that the Omniscient One was capable of having her mind changed by a mere mortal?

Elphaba reached a crossroads, where traffic normally came from every direction. Now it was empty. Elphaba spun around at the men, women, and children clustered in the four streets and let loose a blood-curdling cackle. Everyone yelped and leapt back. Elphaba herself was startled as well. She not expected such a sound to come from here. It sounded like _"He-he-he-he-he-he!"_ but was far more chaotic.

She dismounted her broom and improvised. "Citizens of Oz! The Wizard has warned you of a terror beyond all understanding that stalks the land! The Wizard has warned you to protect your bodies and souls! But I say it's too late! I'm here! I have come to bring the washed-out charlatan to his knees! I have come to replace the old order with the new! The sins of Oz will be accounted for! It's persecution of animals! It's theft of emeralds and rubies from the underground realm! It's silencing of all who speak the truth!"

Her army cheered for several minutes, but eventually their echo died out.

She stopped and waited.

There was nothing, but not really nothing.

There was silence, but not really silence.

Elphaba went on. "I am she who Lurline has sent. I am see who is of Lurline's own essence." Her blasphemy grew, but with no results. Where were the Wizard's guards? Were they planning an elaborate ambush? Or were they really so incompetent? Elphaba had no choice. She needed to say the one thing that would get her killed before everything else, even if it meant at the hands of the angry citizens.

She cleared her throat, cleared her mind, and said, "I am Ozma."

She had said it in a voice hardly above a whisper, but everyone had heard. Even the beggars outside the gates had heard. The dumb crows flying miles overheard had heard. The ground under her had heard. The air itself shuttered, as if it too were sentient.

Elphaba looked back at her army. The nomes were digging holes in the ground, trying to get protection from the divine wrath that was surly on its way. The Winkie barbarians turned away and covered their eyes in reverence. The animals simply bent their heads. But no thunderbolt came from the sky to smite her. The ground did not threaten to swallow her up. Her green skin did not burst out into flames.

Elphaba looked up at the sky. "You're not even going to kill me for that?"

From the western street someone spoke out. "Of course I'm going to kill you. But in my time. Not yours."

Elphaba jumped into the crowed. They dispersed around her. "Who said that!?" she cackled. "Who said that!?"

No one said a word, as if they had not heard the voice.

"This is just what I need," Elphaba groaned. "More hallucinations."

From the northern street the same voice echoed, "And I will continue to drive you insane…until you surrender to my will."

It was Lurline. But now more leveled. More human. At first Elphaba considered throwing her broom at her, but she knew it would do no good. So she stormed over to the northern street and searched every face. She saw no sign of the Goddess' presence. Elphaba fumed. "You are so cruel!"

"I won't argue with you on that one," Lurline yelled back from the southern street.

Against her better judgment, Elphaba ran there. "Tell me why you won't let me die here now, just the way I want to!"

Lurline moved her voice to the eastern street. "No, I will not tell you."

Elphaba strode there, exasperated. "Why not?"

Even before she reached the southern street, Lurline answered, now at Elphaba's left side. "Because I don't have to."

Elphaba spun around. She saw no Goddess. All she saw were the myriads of confused faces—both the citizens and her army. She went back to her devoted followers with her head held low. "That's all for today." Her voice quivered. "No death will be dealt today." She held back her tears. She could not betray this much weakness.

The most unbelievable thing happened. The army turned away and headed out. They had grown so used to disappointment in their lives that this was nothing new to them. They did not glare at her angrily. They did not curse. They left Elphaba all alone in the middle of the City of Emeralds.

Lurline said no more. Elphaba knew why. Lurline had made her point. "You are so cruel. So ruthless."

Lurline did not even respond with a thunder clap. Elphaba remounted her broom and flew away. She flew faster than she ever had before, not wanting to look back. Lurline had saved her from certain death, just so she could play the sacrificial lamb later.

Literally five seconds later after she had left, the Wizard's men burst onto the scene. They had no excuse for arriving so late. They would spend the rest of the day wondering why they had taken so long, eventually coming to the conclusion that it must have been the Witch's magic, though they had felt no enchantment at the time. Surely, her evil growing more potent. Something needed to be done.

The guards were not the only ones who had come. A beautiful lady in white also appeared. After interviewing every citizen willing to speak, she decided that she was long overdue to visit her old friend.


	5. The Coming Storm

Author's Note: Congratulations! You made it this far. I have one simple request. Please leave a review. Even if you hate this story. I want to gauge your (the reader's) interest as I continue. I know the plot points I want to make, but I want to know what you like or don't like so far. Anyways, more to come soon.

Chapter Five: The Coming Storm

Not every part of the Emerald City was pristine clean. The southern part of it was rusted and rundown. The steps were uneven, the walls were crumbly, and the people were shady. The daily activities there ranged from lightly illegal and horrifically violent. Among the faerie dust dealers and prostitutes was a small tavern called Pastoria's Corner. The food and wine were subpar, but tolerable. The unwritten rule was that people could meet there to discuss any business and not be disturbed. So no one batted an eye when a lady shrouded all in gray walked in and immediately headed to the back corner.

Elphaba sat against the cracked window. Like Glinda, her hood was drawn over her face. "I'm surprised you were able to get a message to me," Elphaba said. "I'm never in the same place each night."

"But all the winged monkeys know you. It wasn't hard to go out and find one who'd be willing to pass the word on."

Elphaba took a long drink of Woggle-Bug-Juice, emptying her glass. She signaled to the server, a Patchwork Girl, to bring her another. "So what do you want?"

"I want to know what you were trying to accomplish yesterday, Elphie. The Wizard is sending out more spies to find you. His generals are developing new weapons to fight you. People are being brought in for questioning who have been suspected of harboring you."

"No human has ever harbored me."

"You're missing the point, Elphie!" Glinda's voice was loud and shrill. A few undesirables looked over briefly at her. She lowered her voice to a hiss and leaned forward. "The trap is closing. Soon the Wizard will find you."

"No, he won't."

"Yes, he will."

"No, he won't. Lurline told me." Even though his face was covered, Elphaba could see the confusion on her former friend's face. Glinda had no words for this, so Elphaba continued. "The Goddess came to me. She has told me that I am fated to die at the hands of some girl. It will put the events in motion that will save Oz. I marched on the Emerald City so I could die my own way, but Lurline wouldn't allow it. That's why the guards weren't able to get to me."

Glinda closed up within herself. From a long time, neither woman spoke. The Patchwork Girl brought Elphaba a new drink. Elphaba chugged it down the way only a professional drinker could. Glinda, knowing the state of Elphaba's pocketbook, tossed a few gold coins at the Server's feet.

Glinda waited for a break in Elphaba's drinking and said, "Listen, Elphie, you've been on your own for three months now…"

"All my life, actually."

Glinda sighed. "You're fatigued, sick, confused. I know a doctor who would treat you without turning you in. You'll just have to pay him up front in gold. I'll take care of it for you if you promise to go."

Elphaba was not really listening to the Good Witch. She was thinking of that terrible day three months ago when she had made the decision to defy everything and Glinda had made the decision to submit to everything. The splitting of their friendship. Glinda was given a title, a wand, and all the prestige that should have gone to Elphaba. But in truth Glinda the Good was no more than a puppet. A ragdoll to be tossed around. A toy to be played with. A tool to be used. Elphaba was almost tempted to ask how often the Wizard requested more intimate favors of her.

She glanced over Glinda's shoulder. "Are you sure the Wizard hasn't sent anyone to follow you so that you'll lead them to me?"

"Already checked. No one."

This surprised Glinda. "You have?"

"Yes. I've been tracing my steps for spies for weeks now. I know what they look like."

Elphaba stared deep into her old friend's eyes. First the left. Then the right. The hidden depths within them shone bright with energy. This could only have come with the hard realization that popularity does not equal success, or even happiness.

"You've changed, Galinda. You've changed. You're not the shallow airhead you once were. You're not just dancing through life anymore."

Glinda was not amused. "We do try," she said flatly. Her tone almost resembled Lurline's. _Almost._

"I need you to help me, Galinda."

"Will you go to Dr. Pipt? I'll pay."

This offer made Glinda's rise in maturity all the more apparent. The old sorority girl would have never offered this. Hell! Never would have even initiated a secret meeting. And even though Elphaba hated herself for it, she valued their friendship above all else. It was unwavering, though they now stood on separate sides.

"No, no doctors. I don't want you to help me live. I want you to help me die." Glinda was about to speak again, but Elphaba held her hand up. "Think about it! Why couldn't the Wizard's guards reach me?"

"I…I don't know."

"I cast no spell."

"I don't know!"

"Lurline. It's the only answer. The Goddess of all Creation has set me apart for another purpose. Will you help me?"

"How?" Her tone revealed that she did not know whether she believed or not.

"Help me find the farm girl. Give her the tools she will need to navigate Oz. She will not be a native! Teach her about Oz, and then give her your blessing to kill me."

"Elphie, no!"

"If this is truly Lurline's will, then the girl will come. I am tired of running from my destiny. I am ready to surrender to it. It will be better for me this way. Better for everyone. Better for Oz. And you submit to everybody's will, Galinda. Lurline's shouldn't be too hard."

"This is the crazies thing you've ever said! Even since we were roommates."

Elphaba could not quite put into words why exactly she needed Glinda. Certainly not to bring about Lurline's plan. That would happen on its own. But Elphaba deep down needed the support of her only friend. The only one who had ever listened to her. Taken her seriously! As much as she hated to admit it, Glinda even understood Elphaba to some extent. Her well-earned distrust of everyone around her. Her constant need to challenge the status quo. Her self-proclaimed desire for anarchy, but secret yearn for peace.

Elphaba held up her hands, trying to illustrate. "Death is the door, Galinda. Help me walk through it. Don't make me do it alone. I hate being alone."

Glinda leaned back in her chair. Her head tilted upward. Elphaba knew she was wondering how crazy she must be. Elphaba put her hand on Glinda's shoulder and forced herself to keep a calm tone. "When the farm girl appears, you will have your proof. And when you have your proof, please do not fail me."

Glinda was now entertaining the horrifying notion that Elphaba might be right. "You want me to lend a hand in your murder?"

"As only a true friend can."

"I can't do it."

"Yes Glinda, you must. Think about how much you hate the Wizard. How much you want Oz to change. This can only happen after I am gone."

"Do you even hear what you're saying, Elphaba? These riddles! These weird riddles!" Glinda wiped a tear from her eye. "Let's say our positions were switched and it was me asking you to help my killer. Would you do it?"

"No!" Elphaba's answer rang out on its own accord, even before she had time to consider it. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Perhaps that is why Lurline gave me the easy job."

Glinda figured that she herself was way too sober for this morbid conversation to continue. She ordered a drink herself and downed it all in one go. "So how is this farm girl supposed to appear, anyway?"

"I don't know. Lurline only reveals a little to me at a time each day. All I can say is that something is coming. Something is coming to hit Oz. Something I can't explain."

The two of them were so deep in conversation that they did not think to look outside. A wind from a far distant country was blowing. The birds on the building tops screeched and few away in fear. A storm was on its way. Slowly but surely. Long in the coming. Slow in the making.

A storm was on its way…from out of Oz.


	6. The Wicked Witch of the East

Chapter Six: The Wicked Witch of the East

Nessarose had learned magic for three reasons. The first was that as someone born with arms, she needed to find an alternative way to move objects. The second was to gain respect and fear from her tiny subjects. The third reason, though she would never admit it, was out of pure unbridled jealousy for her sister, Elphaba.

After the death of her father Frex, Nessarose became the new ruler of Munchkinland. She was not overly cruel, but she never had much of a heart for them. She never listened to their petitions for lower taxes or the right to own property. She just spent her days practicing new spells. Her new favorite was telekinetic juggling.

Three red glass balls tossed rhythmically to form a circle in the air. It almost created the illusion that Nessarose actually had hands. Ever since her coordination, she spent her days strutting from one end of her kingdom to another, magically juggling her balls. She ignored the concerns of her subjects. She ignored the small voice around her insisting that there was more to life than obsessing over one's flaws. Nessarose even ignored her new title: The Wicked Witch of the East.

It was twelve o'clock midnight when Elphaba came to her… the "witching hour," as it were. Nessarose had been fast asleep in her velvet bed, but she awoke with the shifting of the air. She knew who it was even before she opened her eyes.

"What do you want, Elphaba?" she asked.

"I wanted to say goodbye." Elphaba closed the window that she had flown threw and sat down on ruby-incrusted chair facing the bed.

'It's a bit late for that, don't you think?" Nessarose asked haughtily.

"I used to think so too, but I've undergone a change in heart lately." Elphaba waved her hand. The candle on the bedside table lit up.

At once Nessarose hated what she saw: A free-spirited woman whose green skin was more of quirk than a hindrance. After Elphaba had learned to wear her hair down and wear more fitting dresses, she had become something of a bombshell in college. At least, that was how Nessarose had seen her.

Elphaba had never seen herself as beautiful. Cute perhaps, in certain moments, but not beautiful. But she had not been her sister. Nessarose had always obsessed over physical appearance…. infinitely more so than Elphaba. It was not even about being attractive to men. It was about finding something that was proof of self worth. Nessarose hated her plain smooth face, her plain brown hair, her plain deformed figure. On any given day, it was hard to tell who she resented more… Elphaba, or herself. Probably Elphaba, considering that she was the greater witch between the two of them, and not even Elphaba had power enough to give her arms.

"I can't explain it in a way that you would understand, but I need to tell you," Elphaba said.

"Tell me what?"

"I am going to die. Soon. I don't know when. But it will be soon."

Nessarose blinked with sleep. This was not anything surprising to her. Ever since Elphaba had became Oz's most wanted terrorist, she figured it would only be a matter of time before she would be made ripe for burial. The schedule for Elphaba's downfall was probably moved forward, considering her resent failed attempt to take the Emerald City. So all Nessarose did was yawn loudly.

"Is that all you can do?" Elphaba asked. "I know we've never… gotten along…"

Nessarose sorted.

"…But I was hoping you could at least wish me farewell."

"Farewell Elphaba."

"Make sure you aren't seen when you leave. I don't want anyone to think I was harboring you."

Elphaba looked to the window, then back at her sister. "You're probably in danger too, Nessa."

This got her attention. She flung the sweat from her eyes and sat strait up. "How?"

"I don't know. Believe me, I don't. But I've got a feeling."

"Just a feeling?"

"Most of my feelings have been coming true lately. You should leave her soon. _Soon, Nessarose!"_

Nessarose did not answer. Her face was blank. Elphaba could not tell what her sister was thinking. "I've always cared for you, Nessa. All your life. Always loved you."

Nessarose fought to keep thefire within her hidden. This was the most evil thing Elphaba had ever done. Been strong when she had been weak. Loving when she was hateful. Graceful when she had been twisted. Even as children, Elphaba had always been the greater of the two. Only Elphaba had never known it. But Nessa had.

I'm going to die, Nessa. Can't you at least tell me you love me?"

"I love you."

But Elphaba knew that she had not meant it. So Elphaba reacted the only way she could: With wry wit and grace. It was what childhood taught her and adulthood confirmed. Wry wit and grace!

"Thanks for letting me in your heart one last time." And before Nessarose had the chance to _not_ respond, Elphaba turned into a bolt of green lightning and shot out the window. She did not even bother opening it first. But no glass was shattered. Elphaba had moved _through_ it.

For the next hour Nessarose lay there, not thinking about her sister, but herself. Should she leave her comfortable palace? Where would she go? She had enough money, but not enough intelligence to plan anything. So her thoughts turned once again to cross-examinations and self-loathing.

But the small voice returned to her head. _Nessarose, there is more to you than you give yourself credit for. If you let me in, I reveal the aspects of life you keep closed. I will guide you. I will help you. Just let me in! I will save you!_

Nessarose clapped her hands and summoned the palace musicians. They played the same tired melody they always did. Nessa hated the music, but it fulfilled its purpose in drowning out the voice.

The musicians played and played. They did not know that they were kept on duty for this exact purpose.


	7. The Wizard's Warning

Author's Note: I know this story may seem slow, but I promise you that I'm building up to something. A couple of plot twists are coming that take a little time to set up. Of course, if you don't add this story to your "follow" list you might miss the updates. Just sayin'! :)

Chapter Seven: The Wizard's Warning

Elphaba had no problem infiltrating the Wizard's private bedchamber. There he lay, snoring in his emerald bed, the old man who ruled off his Oz with the manipulative grip of a befuddled old man. He had no magic tricks to save him now. No smoke and mirrors. Elphaba stood there silently beside him for quite some time. Her heart harbored no more hatred for him now. Only pity. Here was a man who knew only tyranny and deceit. He desperately wanted to looked up to—to be loved. He had never received such blessings back when he was a circus performer in the Lands Beyond. But there was no room in his heart to accept such blessings. No room to bestow them on others. And so he became his own idol; his own center of worship.

Elphaba knew that Lurline would not had allowed her to enter the Wizard's room had she plans to kill him, as she would have any other day. But ever since Elphaba had resigned herself to her fate, the ice in her heart had begun to melt. Her eyes were opened to different shades of love and pity. Her magical potency soared. She almost did not need her broom anymore. She was coming close to being able to teleport.

The image of Nessarose burned in her mind. Nessarose magically juggling those glass red balls. There was something so rhythmic about it. So hypnotic. Elphaba wanted to do it too. Without thinking about it, she took three burned candle-stubs off of the Wizard's bedside table and tossed them up. She did not catch a single one. They all hit the floor with a _thud._ The noise awoke the Wizard. As soon as he saw who it was he coward in fear. He did not even bother calling for his guards. He knew that she could overpower them. Any witch who could march of the Emerald City without facing trouble was unstoppable, especially with him in this compromising situation.

"Calm down," she said. "I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to tell you goodbye." He sighed sadly. "When I was little I thought you were a saint. When I finally met you I thought you were a devil. Now I see you're something in between."

The Wizard just continued to stare, his pupils dilating three times over, his beady little eyes watering up. He still could not believe that Elphaba was not about to stick a dagger in his chest.

Elphaba gave the speech she had been rehearsing for the past hour. "You have about a week. A week before you will be forced to leave Oz forever. Not by my hands. I'll be long gone by then. I'm telling you this so that you recognize the situation when it comes to you. Don't try to stop it. Your efforts will only serve to make my prophesy come true. If I were you, I would make plans to leave now. That way I could take as many emeralds with me as I wanted. But I know you won't do that. So all I will say is this: Enjoy the fruits of Oz while you still can. In a week's time they will be lost to them"

The Wizard bready loudly and violently, as he always did in times of extreme stress. A single tear of blood rolled down his forehead. Elphaba recognized this as the beginning of a heart attack. She waved her hand over him and he suddenly fell back. His head was asleep before it even hit the pillow.

"So much for being Great and Terrible," she muttered as she departed.

Come morning, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz would think no more of this encounter but as the fierce vexation of a dream, as he did all divine visitations.


End file.
